TWAS-ICCBS Postgraduate Fellowship Programme

IMPORTANT: The following is additional information concerning the TWAS-ICCBS Postgraduate Fellowship Programme tenable in Pakistan. It is an integral part of the information given here: TWAS Fellowships for Postgraduate Research.

Applicants should be aware that they can apply for only one fellowship per year. With the exception of the fellowships "for research collaboration", all other fellowship programmes offered by TWAS and TWOWS that are mutually exclusive.

Programme Details

• TWAS-ICCBS Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) – comprising the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry and the Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular and Drug Research – for a period of up to four years for studies leading to a PhD degree in the following fields: organic chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular medicine, pharmacology or physical chemistry.
• Applicants may be registered for a PhD degree in their home country (SANDWICH option), or may enrol in a PhD course at ICCBS (FULL-TIME option).

• SANDWICH Fellowships (for those registered for a PhD in their home country): The Fellowship may be granted for a minimum period of 6 months and a maximum period to be decided with ICCBS. Under the sandwich option, TWAS covers only one return journey to the host country.

• FULL-TIME Fellowships (for those willing to register for a PhD in Pakistan):
  - The Fellowship is granted for maximum 4 years. If awarded the Fellowship, full-time candidates must sit a compulsory entrance examination in either April or October at the University of Karachi, prior to starting their Fellowship.  Upon passing the entry exam, awardees will register at the University of Karachi and ICCBS.
  - With a view to sitting the entrance examination at the University of Karachi, awardees are requested to apply for a six-month visa at their nearest Pakistan embassy. After getting PhD admission, awardees are required to go back to their home country for obtaining a long-term study visa (up to 4 years).
  - Neither TWAS nor ICCBS will support awardees’ travel expenditures to travel to Pakistan to sit the entry exam. Travel support is provided by TWAS after awardees have successfully passed the entry exam and are ready to travel back to Pakistan for the actual start of the Fellowship. TWAS covers only one return journey to the host country, upon receipt of a copy of the long-term study visa.

• ICCBS will provide a monthly stipend which should be used to cover living costs, such as food, accommodation and health insurance. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency.
• If awarded, applicants must sit a compulsory entrance examination in either April or October prior to starting their Fellowship.  For the entrance examination, candidates can enter Pakistan on a visitor's visa. Upon successful completion of the entrance examination, candidates will immediately begin their research programme and the necessary requirements for a study visa will be implemented while at the host institution. Local hospitality for candidates travelling to Pakistan for the entrance examination will be provided by ICCBS.
• The language of instruction is English.

Eligibility

Applicants for these fellowships must meet the following criteria:

• be a maximum age of 35 years on 31 December of the year of application;
• hold a Master's degree in a field of natural sciences;
• be nationals of a developing country (other than Pakistan);
• must not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in Pakistan or any developed country;
• provide a certificate of good health from a qualified medical doctor;
• provide an official Acceptance Letter from the supervisor or head of department at ICCBS (see sample Acceptance Letter included in the application form). Requests for acceptance must be directed to the Director of ICCBS (Prof. M.I. Choudhary: by e-mail hej@cyber.net.pk or pcmd@cyber.net.pk) who will facilitate assignment of a host supervisor. In contacting Prof. Choudhary, applicants must accompany their request for a preliminary acceptance letter with copy of their CV and a research proposal outline;
• provide evidence of proficiency in English.

Submitting your application

• The deadline for receipt of applications is 30 June each year.
• Applicants must submit an Acceptance Letter from ICCBS when applying, or by the deadline at the latest. Without preliminary acceptance the application will not be considered for selection
• Reference letters: Referees must send signed letters as attachments via e-mail directly to TWAS. The subject line must contain: ICCBS/PG/candidate’s surname. Alternatively, letters can be sent by post in sealed envelopes. Only signed reference letters can be accepted.
• Applicants to the TWAS-ICCBS Postgraduate Fellowship Programme should send one copy of their application to TWAS only (by post, fax or email). Please do not send a copy to ICCBS.

APPLICATION FORM:

Click on the links below to download the application form and guidelines. Before applying it is recommended that you read very carefully the application guidelines for detailed information on eligibility criteria, deadlines and other key requirements of the application procedure. 

• PG Application form
• PG Application Guidelines
  
  

Contact Details

TWAS Fellowships Office
ICTP campus, Strada Costiera 11
34151 Trieste, Italy
Tel: +39 040 2240314
Fax: +39 040 2240689
E-mail: fellowships@twas.org

Prof. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Director
International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS)
University of Karachi
Karachi-75270, Pakistan
Tel: +92 21 4824 924, 4824 925
Fax: +92 21 4819 018, 4819 019
E-mail: hej@cyber.net.pk, pcmd@cyber.net.pk